


The Naivety of Youth

by dreamsweet



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Lore Olympus (Webcomic), Religion & Lore - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: F/F, F/M, Love Triangles, M/M, Multi, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Tenderness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:40:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28928940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamsweet/pseuds/dreamsweet
Summary: Life seems so simple during childhood, youth brings a sense of blissful ignorance. As an adult, many people wish they could return to this state of blissful ignorance.Persephone is one of the youngest goddesses of the entire pantheon, and sheltered by her mother, Persephone must learn how to navigate the dangerous life of a goddess in the Greek Pantheon, and shed the veil of youth to see the true secrets and horrors that are hidden deep within Olympus.-Loosely based off of the webcomic Lore Olympus and actual Greek lore. A retelling of Olympian myths.-
Relationships: Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 10
Kudos: 35





	1. PROLOGUE

Her touch was as soft as the feather of a dove. Her body was as fragile as porcelain. Her innocence was not only betrayed by her stature, but in her eyes as well. Her eyes, as dark as the night sky, were wide and naive; ignorant of the horrors others have faced. Her skin, darkened by her time in the sun, was speckled with brown freckles that seemed to flow endlessly throughout her body, like the stardust seen perfectly by the naked eye when the moon hid in the night. If one looked carefully enough, they would soon find that she too, had her own constellations written in her body, each one telling a different story of her life.

 **“Dearest Persephone,”** a voice called from behind. The freckled woman turned, and smiled warmly at her mother, Demeter, approaching.

 **“I thought for sure you wouldn’t find me in the garden,”** Persephone chuckled lightheartedly, as her mother smiled widely.

**“Come now, dearest. If you are trying to hide from me you know the first place I search will be-”**

**“-the garden, yes, yes I know,”** Persephone finished the sentence with her mother, a wave of her hand dismissed her mothers words. Demeter nodded, and gently took her daughter’s soft hands into her own, and looked persephone deep into her dark eyes.

**“Persephone, my dear, you know when we come to Olympus I do not like it when you wander the halls by your lonesome.”**

**“Mother please,”** Persephone almost begged Demeter not to bring the conversation up again. Persephone was rather young for a goddess. Still she was centuries years old, and by mortal standards she had lived the span of a mortal life tenfold, but compared to the gods and goddesses from the beginning of their creation from the titans, she was but a speck to them. nothing to be seen with a second glance. Or so she thought.

 **“Please, Persephone. you do not know the gods and goddesses that roam these halls like I do,”** Demeter said. Her eyes were patient as they slowly reached up from persephone’s hands to cup her daughter’s face. **“I just want to keep you safe from them. It is why we moved to the mortal realm in the first place,”** Demeter added after a beat of silence. Persephone rested her forehead against her mothers and took a deep breath. Her mother had always been protective of her, and she understood her mother’s concerns as everyone, god and mortal alike, has heard of the stories of Olympus that would instill fear in the hearts of everyone.

Persephone huffed, knowing if she pushed too much farther, it would only make her mother upset.

 **“Fine, mother.”** -she pulled away from Demeter, and looked her in the eyes. **“May I at least stay in the garden for a bit longer,”** Persephone asked? Demeter rubbed her brow, and looked to Persephone.

Reluctantly, Demeter nodded and said **“but I will see you at supper, no later.”**

 **“I’ll see you at supper,”** Persephone confirmed with a small nod. Her mother kissed Persephone’s forehead before she turned and left Persephone alone in the garden of Olympus.

The young goddess knelt down by the pink flowers in bloom in the garden, the dirt slowly rubbing onto the white fabrics that adorned the goddesses body. And it was there amongst the flowers where the goddess found her peace, unbeknownst to the golden eyes studying her as they slowly slinked away further into the shadows.


	2. AN UNEXPECTED GUEST

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demeter has an unexpected guest and is accused of neglecting her duties on the mortal realm.

Demeter hummed softly to herself as the sun slowly slunk behind the horizon and streams of liquid gold filled the room. Her hands slowly finished the dinner preparation as she hummed, filling the kitchen with her gentle music. She wiped a loose strand of hair away from her face, smudging a bit of the grease from the food onto her cheek. Her caramel colored hair fell gently behind her ear. She gave one final huff, and smiled as she looked to the plate of food she had prepared for herself and Persephone. She was proud of her work, the stacks of lamb meat were beautifully cooked and placed neatly atop of the salad which held an assortment of colors that made Demeter’s eyes twinkle with excitement. Her violet eyes looked to the open window, the sky turned shades of purples and reds, expressing different emotions from rage, to love, to joy, to hate, all within the clouds as they curled around the setting sun. The sky truly looked as if it were hand painted by Apollo himself. The sky reminded Demeter of the food that she set out in front of her, vibrant colors scattered along the beautiful porcelain plate. 

She moved to the dining room, the plates held in her dainty hands, and she began to set the table. Her eyes softened at the thought of dinner with her beloved daughter, and she could not help the smile that pulled at her pink lips. 

It was the knock on the door that took her attention away from the table, and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 

**“Persephone, my darling,”** she called, confused? Demeter straightened herself and walked to the door of their home. With a small tug, she opened the door. Demeter’s violet eyes were met with the calloused black eyes of Athena.

**“Oh, hello,”** Demeter blinked in shock and confusion, **“Princess Athena, it is a pleasure to be in your company.”** Demeter gave a small curtsy, pulling at the sage green dress that adorned her body. The golden accents and buttons catching the light of the setting sun giving the illusion of a twinkling star. 

**“Save your pleasantries, Demeter. You have a lot of nerve to show back up on Olympus’ soil.”** Athena barked as she stepped inside, and pushed past Demeter. Athena’s towering and imposing figure made her way into the small cabin that Demeter kept on Olympus. Demeter looked out to the large palace at the top of the hill, the royal family’s palace. Surrounding the palace were the other homes of the divine. Demeter bit her lip nervously, last time Demeter saw Athena the two goddesses did not leave on good terms. So why had Athena come and sought Demeter out personally? What had brought her to the Demeter’s cabin? Demeter slowly closed the door, the latch falling into place.

**“Then why did you come,”** Demeter asked, her eyes looking to the other goddess that now stood near the dining table she just set.

**“I am here because I noticed a problem, one that my father and his brothers have not noticed as of yet.”**

Demeter raised a brow, waiting for Athena to continue.

**“Mortals are dying, Demeter.”**

**“What does that have to do with me, mortals die, plants die, and life begins anew. This does not concern me.”**

**“Yes it does,”** Athena insisted and reached into her leather bag she carried on her. Athena pulled out a scroll, and unrolled it before Demeter.  **“You see, as Zeus’ daughter, I am privy to records many would not see, and given my domain is wisdom, I get virtually unrestricted access to all the information Olympus has to offer, and this includes mortal death records. Mortal’s are dying at an increased rate, especially in the region that is known as Sicily. Where you exiled yourself and your daughter.”**

**“I did not exile myself, your mother did. Foolish woman,”** Demeter said as she tensed her jaw.

**“Hera is of no concern to me. However, you returning to Olympus concerns me greatly. You will cause a stir, I advise you to leave with haste.”**

**“What does this have to do with the mortals dying?”** Demeter’s eyes fell to the floor, as she swiftly changed the subject. A deep feeling in her gut told her that she already knew the answer to this.

**“Ah, yes. The mortals. The mortals are dying of starvation, it seems a severe famine has swept its way throughout the entire world because your harvests have not been bountiful enough. What say you, Demeter?”**

**“Nothing.”**

There was a moment of silence as Athena looked to Demeter in surprise, that was not the answer she was expecting. 

**“Demeter, you are committing a serious offense, and you have-”**

**“I have nothing to say,”** Demeter interrupted. Her shoulders sagged for just a moment. 

Athena’s lips turned into a stern line, her eyebrow shot up in surprise. The Goddess of Wisdom towered over Demeter, making her feel small. Demeter knew best to keep silent, what was there to say. This was her fault that the mortals were dying. There was no point in lying.

_ tw; brief mention of coercion / mentions of smut _

And suddenly, Demeter was thrown to _that_ night. 

The night of Zeus’ birthday.

Everyone’s breaths thick with alcohol and their bellies fattened with food. The music was loud and the divine crowding the ballroom of the palace were louder. The dance floor was covered in a layer of alcohol and sweat as everyone danced; the minstrels playing their jaunty music as the nymph’s bodies mingled closely with the divine.

Demeter was with Zeus, his hand on her waist, pulling her closely to his body. She could practically feel his warm breath on her neck as he leaned in and drunkenly kissed the tender flesh. Between the low torchlight and the drunkenness of the crowd, his adulterous advances on Demeter went mostly unnoticed, save for the poor sober souls who had enough wits about them to watch those inebriated by alcohol with intensity. 

**“Let's go somewhere more private,”** he muttered to Demeter, and she followed closely behind him. Until he led her to the royal chambers both him and his queen, Hera, shared. The satin sheets felt like the highest fields of Elysium. Zeus’ wandering hands were the only anchor she had onto this existence. 

It was when she felt his lips on her thigh that brought her own thoughts to the forefront of her mind.

**“We shouldn’t do this, your highness. Please,”** she stated, slowly coming to her senses.

Zeus slowly positioned himself atop of her, his hand placed on her skin. She felt his calloused hand trace the outline of her jaw, and gently caress her neck.

**“You are going to deny me? The King of the Gods? _Your King?_ ”**

Demeter was stunned. She had not said anything, and perhaps it was the alcohol still coursing through her veins, but her jaw suddenly felt heavy as Zeus gave a breath of satisfaction, and she felt his lips on her waist, slowly trailing down her body.

It was Hera’s scream that made her world come crashing down. Hera’s golden eyes filled with rage and pain. Athena was only a few paces behind her enraged mother.

**“How could you,”** Hera cried to her husband?

_ end tw; _

Demeter blinked as she looked to Athena, their eyes locking. Demeter looked as if she was about to speak, but the rattling of the front door made her close her mouth. Her pink lips turned into a stern line as she turned to greet her daughter. Forcing her face to soften, Demeter smiled, 

**“Right on time, my dear. We have a guest.”**

**“I was just leaving,”** Athena stated as she cast a glance to Demeter, her black eyes piercing into Demeter’s form. **“It was a pleasure, Demeter,”** she then looked to the younger woman, **“Persephone,”** Athena nodded to her, simultaneously greeting her and bidding her a farewell.

After Athena left, Demeter was left alone with her daughter. And as Persephone chattered on of the garden, Demeter’s thoughts were consumed with Athena’s words.

_ Mortals are dying. It was Demeter’s fault. All because of that night.  _


	3. CLAIRVOYANT DREAMS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone had a strange dream she feels that was more than just a dream, but what could it mean?

Persephone’s dark eyes gazed at half of the pomegranate nestled in her soft palms, but the longer she gazed upon the fruit, it began to morph before her eyes. This picture was not clear at first, the fruit turning strange colors before the reddened seeds began to turn to veins, the pomegranate began moving slowly on its own. The pomegranate, now turned to a heart, was slowly beating in her delicate hands, blood pumping as if it were still alive, began to run down her arm and drip between her fingers, falling into the endless expanse. It was then that Persephone realized she was nowhere she recognized. Well, nowhere at all. All around her was the dark expanse of nothingness except for the moon that hung low in, what Persephone would assume to be, the sky above her. She watched as the moon gracefully danced in the sky until the moon was no more, and in place of the moon was now a large silver eye. It’s large iris staring at Persephone holding the heart, watching her every move with interest. 

Persephone felt heat behind her. Turning her back on the silver eye, she looked to the sun, blazing in the infinite expanse of nothingness. She closed her eyes, but she did not feel the light from the sun on her delicate skin. The empty expanse of nothing consumed the rays of light that would have shown on her face, but left the inexplicable heat that seeped into her skin and created beads of sweat on her brow. When Persephone opened her eyes once again, the sun was no longer the sun. Before Persephone was a bright, shimmering, golden eye which was a stark contrast to the silver eye that stared at her small form from behind. As she gazed upon the golden eye, she could feel a weight in her palm, not from the beating heart, but from something else entirely. Pulling her gaze away from the magnificent golden eye, she looked in the palm of her other hand. She now held a golden dagger in this hand. Persephone had not remembered when she had possessed such an item, or where she could have picked one up. She held this unfamiliar item in her hands, her thumb running across the hilt of the blade; as she did, a warm familiarity ran down her spine, Persephone felt as though she recognized this blade, but could not place where she knew it from. She stared at her hands unknowing of what to do, in one hand she carried a beating heart, in the other, the warm golden dagger.

_ Make your choice. _

A disembodied voice echoed into her mind.

It was then, her dark eyes flew open, revealing the familiarity of her room in the cabin her and her mother shared. She slowly pulled herself up into a sitting position, her joints aching as her stiff body slowly woke up from the deep slumber she was in. Persephone took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes, and when she pulled her hands away, she was surprised by the moisture on her hands. Had she been crying? Surely the dream she had that night was unsettling in it’s own way, but why had she been crying? She wiped the rest of her tears from her eyes, and slowly shifted out of bed; folding the wool blankets and placing them at the foot of her bed, Persephone could not shake the feeling of the dream. What did it mean? Was there any meaning behind her dream? Or was the young goddess overthinking it? Surely, people have had strange dreams before, and Persephone was always told by her mother she would over analyze and overthink everything she saw. Her mind was racing with many unanswered questions; there was one question that stood out to her as it quickly passed through her mind. Had this been a prophetic dream? Was this the fates showing her a glimpse of what was to come of her future? Prophetic dreams were common in the mortal realm amongst demigods and mortals chosen by a god to be their champion. The deities whose domain aligned with the Fates would often experience these types of dreams and visions, such as Athena. But Persephone was no Athena, she was not the goddess of wisdom nor was she the goddess of strategies. Persephone was simply the goddess of spring, much like her mother who was the goddess of the harvest. There was nothing remarkable about her status in Olympus, she was only a minor goddess, so if this truly was a vision, what had it meant? And why had she been chosen?

**“Persephone, darling,”** it was the words of her mother that pulled Persephone from the spiralling thoughts that began to consume her. **“Are you alright,”** Demeter asked? Persephone had not realized Demeter had come to her room, and was now standing in her doorway. Persephone blinked and rubbed her eyes with her hands. There was a moment of hesitation before Persephone spoke. Her dream was odd, but nothing she felt to be worth mentioning. Besides, Demeter would agree that she was reading too much into it, _‘always too much in your head, darling’_ is what Demeter would say. Demeter always said that Persephone thought more than she spoke. 

**“Yes,”** Persephone finally answered, **“I just woke up,”** she continued with a yawn as she took notice of the creeping sensation of fatigue running up her spine; she must not have had a restful night.

Demeter shrugged, **“I came to check on you because you were in bed longer than usual,”** she said casually. **“Well, since you’re up, are you ready for today?”**

**“For today?”** Persephone looked up to the ceiling as she tried to remember what her mother was talking about.

**“Last night,”** Demeter gently reminded her as a look of concern passed through Demeter’s eyes. Her daughter had hardly ever been this forgetful or this distant really. **“You promised you would accompany me today as we went to the mortal realm to oversee the harvest. Then we are to use the sacrifices the mortals have given in order to have the feast for tonight.”**

**“Feast?”**

**“Darling, are you alright?”** Demeter gave a worried smile as she closed the distance between herself and her daughter. Demeter put her hands on Persephone’s shoulders and they locked eyes. **“Tonight is Zeus’ annual feast to celebrate Heracles’ return to Elysium; we spoke about it last night while we had dinner,”** Demeter said as she lifted her brow to the young goddess. Persephone simply nodded in agreement, and as she attempted to remember the exchange of words between herself and her mother, a thought creeped into her mind.

**“Mother, why had Athena come here?”**

**“It was nothing, darling. Just welcoming us to Olympus,”** Demeter said with ease.

To a person who had not known Demeter as well as Persephone, they would have seen no change in her expression. To Persephone, she saw the slight twitch in her face as Demeter clenched her teeth and the quick twitch of her brow. Athena came for more than just a welcome, Persephone could figure out that much, but what would have brought Athena here in the first place? Doubt began to fill Persephone, and perhaps she simply was reading too much into what Demeter has said.

**“Very well,”** Persephone smiled, **“Then, shall we go to the mortal realm?** ”


	4. A NEW FACE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone meets someone unexpected.

Persephone gazed out onto the field of workers, all harvesting their seasonal growths. Her head tilted to the side in curiosity as she watched them alongside Demeter; their backs were bent as they slowly worked their calloused fingers, the muscles in their hands becoming sore as they did. Their hands, tanned and burnt from their time outside, lifted into the air as the glimmer of the metal sickle caught the sun, and quickly lost the beautiful twinkling glint as the sickle came down upon the plants.

As she watched these people hard at work, Persephone could not help but picture the garden she created on this very realm that she tended to by hand, and without the divine aid of her gifts. Although Persephone and her mother lived on the mortal realm before, Demeter kept Persephone on a short leash during their time. Keeping the young goddess close to her side so Demeter may watch over her; to do this, both Persephone and Demeter lived in isolation, so far removed from those who actually belonged Persephone and Demeter might as well have lived on their own realm. The mortal realm had always felt so familiar to Persephone, yet so foreign to the young goddess.

**“Can they see us,”** Persephone asked? It was a burning question she had in her head as her and her mother stood at the edge of the field, virtually unnoticed by the farmers hard at work. 

**“No, they cannot,”** Demeter responded flatly. **“It is forbidden for us to interact with mortals without specific provocation or clearance from Zeus himself. We have magic that allows us to stay hidden away from them for as long as we please.”**

**“What if they need to see us? How can I use that power?”**

**“Persephone, it is very rare for the mortals to ever need to see us,”** Demeter explained to her curious daughter. Persephone was always asking questions, and whenever she would receive an answer, she would almost always follow up the answer with another simple question, _‘why’_. However, being accustomed to her daughter, and her innate curiosity, Demeter found it was easier to explain the answer to Persephone, but that did not stop the constant stream of other questions that she concocted in her mind. Demeter gave a light sigh, **“But if you must know, it is just a feeling, much like when I taught you how to return to Olympus. Just close your eyes and focus,”** Demeter said matter of factly. Of course, Demeter knew that being a mother was never an easy task, and she loved her daughter unconditionally. Even though Persephone’s constant stream of questions would be considered “annoying” to some, there was something Demeter found so wonderful about her curiosity. She was worried for her daughter, and she was afraid that her daughter’s insatiable curiosity would lead her to trouble.

Persephone nodded, and as her mother spoke, listening to every word her mother said. She began to think of the time Demeter taught her to return to Olympus. This was the first gift Demeter had taught Persephone how to access besides her innate natural abilities relating to Persephone’s domain. Was it really that easy to learn of her divine gifts? If so, what else could she learn with relative ease?

_**“Now Persephone, since we are to be returning to Olympus, and since our domain lies within the mortal realm, you need to learn how to travel between the two,”** Demeter said, crossing her arms. Persephone nodded, and looked to her mother expectantly. It was rare for Demeter to teach Persephone a gift that all of the divines knew. She was eager to learn, and Persephone stood with baited breath as her mother stood before her. **“It is like a wave washing over you. Simply close your eyes, and visualize that you are on Olympus. Picture the large marble columns and the rolling hills,”** Demeter began. Persephone did as told, her eyes shut, and she began to picture Olympus. Although it was nothing like her mother stated. She did not picture what her mother began to describe. Persephone’s mind began to conjure the picture of a garden, the beautiful flowers in bloom, showing their color for all to see. The tree branches swayed in the wind, their leaves rustling against one another and creating the sweetest noise to the goddess. The garden smelled so wonderful, and it was the different flowers, from every region of the world, all in bloom at once and kept alive by the magic of Olympus. Persephone took a deep breath, and opened her eyes. Before her was the exact garden she pictured in her mind’s eye; she had not realized that her mother’s voice slowly faded from existence as she pictured exactly where she wanted to go. That was until a gentle breeze blew on Persephone’s soft skin, and it was her mother’s voice that caught her attention behind her. _

**_“I see you had no problem finding your way here.”_ **

_ Demeter smiled and her eyes showed nothing but pride. _

Pushing the memory from her mind, Persephone huffed as her eyes lingered on the farmers. As she did, she could not help the creeping feeling of guilt that ran up her spine and wrapped around her heart. Her life, even as a minor goddess, was one filled with privilege. She had the capability to change these mortal’s lives, give them wealth and pleasure and the privilege she had. So why should she allow them to work themselves to the bone if she could help them? In total, there were five mortals, all of them hunched over as they cut the plants from their roots. Persephone had never had to work as hard as the mortals had; while she preferred to be more hands on with her work rather than rely on her divine gifts, there was still an easy simplicity about her life, and she still had the _privilege_ to work with her hands and not her gifts. But these farmers had no such luxury. She was a goddess, her job was to nurture and guide the mortals, so why was she not able to help those she was supposed to care for? Persephone bit her lip as she thought. 

**“You’re thinking again,”** Demeter commented without looking at Persephone. Persephone looked to her mother, and then promptly dropped her eyes to the ground. 

**“I was just thinking...why not help them?”** Persephone sighed, she played with her fingers as she spoke about her thoughts. Demeter took a moment before she answered. The silence, only lasting a few seconds, felt like an eternity to Persephone. 

**“It is just the natural order of things, I suppose,”** Demeter finally said, allowing for a quick glance to her daughter. To Demeter, Persephone looked...shy as she played with her fingers and shuffled her feet. Demeter could not help but wonder if this was due to Persephone’s youth. She was young, one of the youngest recognized deities throughout the Grecian Pantheon, and with this youth, came learning of her role as the goddess of spring. Demeter saw Persephone scrunch her nose, obviously she was not satisfied with the answer. **“Mortals are to live their life in their realm, and they are to learn lessons given to them by the gods. In exchange we are worshipped, those who are devoted and faithful in us will receive gifts throughout their life and their afterlife is to be filled with splendor,”** Demeter explained. Persephone nodded, processing the words Demeter had said to her. 

**“And those who do not worship? Those who are not faithful? Those who do wrong in the gods’ eyes,"** Persephone asked? Demeter, although willing to explain and answer any questions Persephone may have had about her existence, she would not actively teach Persephone the role in which she was responsible. She had always wanted to give Persephone a choice about her responsibilities, and whether or not she was ready to learn about such things. Demeter found if Persephone was willing to learn, the results would be more fruitful for Persephone. Demeter took another second to pause and think of another answer. Persephone was usually comfortable with silence as she was a quiet and reserved young woman herself, but it was this particular silence that felt uncomfortable. Persephone dared to look at her mother, and when she did, Demeter seemed to be working through her own thoughts. It was almost as if she was debating on whether or not she should tell Persephone everything she knew; it was clear to see by the furrow in her brow and the slight frown that pulled at her lips.

**“Well,”** Demeter started as she thought. Demeter knew her daughter to be a gentle young woman, and Demeter would describe Persephone as being too soft, too gentle. “I suppose they receive the punishment both we and the Fates see fit.” Persephone’s gentle nature began to show when she dropped her eyes at Demeter’s words, and Demeter swiftly tried to comfort her daughter. **“You have to understand, those who are punished bring that punishment unto themselves.”** Demeter’s words did little to comfort Persephone; if anything, Persephone simply felt ill. Although young and not having had the chance to meet all of those who occupy Olympus, the stories of their deeds preceded them. The gods of Olympus were known to be ruthless and unforgiving, oftentimes committing acts of wrath against one another or against the mortals over slight disagreements. Persephone trusted those around her, especially her mother, so perhaps these stories were told out of proportion? She had no reason to believe the stories she had heard, but...that also means that she did not have to believe the words of those claiming these stories were false. 

**“Persephone,”** Demeter called her daughter.

**“Hmm?”**

**“I am going to move on from this area. We have seen that this small harvest is well on its way.”**

**“I would like to stay here, just for a while longer. I’ll meet you back at Olympus?”**

Demeter nodded her head in agreement, **“I’ll meet you on Olympus.”**

There was the sound of wind whooshing around Persephone and Demeter was gone. 

. . .

How long had Persephone been there? When she arrived, the sun was high in the sky, but as she stood watching in fascination as the men worked, the sun began to sink closer and closer to the horizon. Farmers came and went, replacing one another through this arduous process of hard work. As the sun began setting, Persephone huffed slightly. She had not wanted to leave, but what else was she to do? Sooner or later these mortals would return to the comfort of their homes and continue on with their life, and then what was she to do? There was even the feast that Persephone promised her mother she would attend; and as the moon and the stars drew closer and more prominent, the mortals began to dwindle from their work, and Persephone felt the pull to keep her word and return to Olympus. 

Eventually, that is exactly what these men began doing. Packing their belongings and slowly leaving with stiff legs and sore hands, and the stars in the sky replaced the hard working bodies on the field. Even as the sun said it’s goodbye and the full moon began to illuminate the sky as a gentle reminder to the goddess to return to Olympus, to her mother, she did not want to despite the pull in her gut saying she should keep her word. However, there was something so beautifully simple about the mortal realm. While many of the other gods and goddesses loved Olympus and scoffed at the thought of living amongst those they considered beneath them, Persephone felt herself to be the opposite. She was raised on the mortal realm by her mother who did not want to raise a child on Olympus. However, as much as the mortal realm felt like home to Persephone, she also felt like an outsider. Although raised on the mortal realm, Persephone was taught Olympian customs by her mother; even though Persephone had asked on many occasions why her mother had left, what many would consider paradise, her mother simply stated that she preferred her and her daughter to live separately. Peacefully. Young Persephone thought her mother had wanted her to live her life like the mortals do. To frolic in the fields like the other children or race through the markets to find the best sweet treat before anybody else could, and when Persephone asked her mother to go play with the young mortal children, Demeter gave Persephone a stern look. Demeter explained that even though she and her daughter lived on the mortal realm, that did not mean they were mortals nor did they have to live like them. 

And so, Demeter never allowed Persephone to explore the beautiful rolling hills or to make friends with those in the nearby villages. 

She spent the many many years on the mortal realm tending to the large and bountiful garden at her and her mother’s tiny cottage by hand. Pouring all of her love and devotion into the plants...and these plants Persephone would consider to be amongst one of her only friends. 

As Persephone thought, she had not realized the creeping chill that went up her spine from the cold night air nor had she realized the presence of someone else that had come from behind,

**“Hello,”** the stranger called?

Persephone whipped around, her thoughts disturbed as she looked at the stranger. She was surprised by her sudden appearance, not only that, but how could she see her?

**“I didn’t mean to scare you,”** the woman said rather awkwardly. She pulled her hands to her chest, palms facing Persephone as if she was to show the goddess she meant no harm. Tentatively taking a step towards Persephone as if she was an animal that would run at any second, the woman cocked her head to the side.

**“Can you speak?”** It was the woman’s words that made Persephone realize she had been staring at the stranger.

**“Uh yes, I must apologize, you just...simply startled me,”** Persephone said. 

**“Oh, well, I don’t bite.”** The woman smiled, revealing her teeth and she pointed to them. **“I don’t have sharp enough teeth to bite,”** the woman joked and she released a throaty laugh into the space between herself and Persephone. Persephone smiled shyly, and the woman looked at Persephone. **“Come on, that is all I get?”** The woman shrugged, **“I thought that one would have made you laugh for sure.”**

Persephone knit her brows together, and looked to the mortal woman, and she forced a chuckle.

**“Oh don’t give me a pity laugh,”** the woman waved her hand. **“Anyway, it is not often I meet others here. Who are you?”**

Persephone paused for a moment, what was she to say? Her mother had warned her about interacting with the mortals. If Zeus found out Persephone broke a rule, it would mean punishment for the goddess of spring. Persephone gulped, and tried to push the worry from her mind,

**“Persa...my name is Persa,”** Persephone lied.

**“Are you sure, looks like you forgot your name for a second,”** the woman joked again. **“My name is Amara, it is a pleasure to meet you.”**

  
  



End file.
